Chapter 003: Tonight, Come to My Place
The dismissal bell rang.
Ye Fuli walked out the back door of the classroom, backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Ye Fuli, wait a moment! This math competition…"
Her homeroom teacher also tried to call her back.
But Ye Fuli merely turned back and said calmly, "No interest. I won't be participating this time."
The homeroom teacher visibly froze: "The gold medal prize this time is worth twenty thousand yuan! You… you… why don't you reconsider?"
She knew Ye Fuli's family situation.
Both her parents were compulsive gamblers. She'd lived in a slum since childhood, paying tuition with odd jobs and covering living expenses by constantly entering competitions!
Ye Fuli's participation in these competitions benefited not only herself but also the school and her homeroom teacher.
"Such a small amount of money isn't worth wasting a whole week of my time."
Hearing this, the homeroom teacher was utterly dumbfounded.
Had the sun risen in the west?
How could Ye Fuli utter such brazen words!
But such competitions couldn't be forced upon students. Though the homeroom teacher felt a hundred thousand times dissatisfied, she could only suppress it, smiling as she watched her descend the stairs.
"Well, well, think it over when you get home! I'll be waiting to hear from you."
……
……
Consider?
Yeah, right.
Ye Fuli certainly didn't need to scramble for money anymore.
First, she already had enough saved to comfortably finish college, with no financial worries.
Second, it wouldn't be long before she could reappear before her biological parents, the Ye family, who would then arrange another paternity test to confirm her identity.
The Ye family's wealth rivaled that of a nation. Supporting one more person—or even thousands more—wasn't an issue.
But what Ye Fuli truly desired wasn't the entire Ye family fortune.
"I want every single one of you to suffer!"
Recalling certain experiences from her past life, Ye Fuli's gaze darkened with a terrifying intensity.
During her years at school, she had indeed lived a happy life, seemingly cherished by everyone around her—including her biological parents, whom she had never even met…
Yet after graduating from university, especially following Ye Zhen's death, fate began to mock her.
The men who followed her around day and night, showering her with attention, were only after the Ye family's assets—and marrying her as a bonus.
The so-called close friends who pretended to care about her were only interested in using her to meet the men who pursued her.
As for her Ye family parents…
They would ruthlessly arrange marriages with strangers to expand their business, utterly disregarding her preferences!
When she tried to resist, they would constantly bring up the late Ye Zhen, saying she wasn't as obedient or as understanding as Ye Zhen had been.
The most venomous words were: She, Ye Fuli, should have died in Ye Zhen's place.
After repeated futile attempts to resist, a desperate Ye Fuli chose to end her life before her wedding day.
The scenes from her past life felt as fresh as yesterday.
Ye Fuli would never forget their vile faces!
She would punish every single one of them!
Breezed by the cool air of early summer, Ye Fuli struggled to steady her emotions as she walked to the meeting spot agreed upon with Ye Zhen.
Yet, after waiting a full half hour, Ye Zhen was nowhere to be seen.
"That cowardly fool—did she actually dare to run away?"
Furrowing her brow, Ye Fuli headed toward Class F.
Before she even reached the classroom door, she heard voices inside:
"Ye Zhen, why don't you just go back?"
"Yeah! Your family's driver must be waiting impatiently."
"We're planning to leave too. We can fill in the colors tomorrow."
Ye Fuli approached and peered through the window at the scene inside the classroom.
She saw Ye Zhen standing on a small stool, struggling to write something on the blackboard.
This kid was so short she barely looked like an adult. What's more, her face was still so youthful and cute—even when angry, she seemed to be trying to be adorable…
Ye Fuli shifted slightly to the side.
This time, she saw the characters Ye Zhen had written on the blackboard.
Squiggly and crooked.
Childish and laughable.
Like something a primary school student would write.
As a member of the Calligraphy Club, Ye Fuli felt a mix of emotions looking at those characters!
Only after Ye Zhen's classmates had all left did Ye Fuli push open the front door and step inside.
She didn't call out to Ye Zhen but instead sat down at a desk far away from her, arms crossed, watching Ye Zhen finish the last bit of her writing.
"Phew~ Finally done!"
It was getting late.
The moment Ye Zhen set down her chalk, she was still blissfully thinking that Ye Fuli must have already left, and she had dodged a bullet!
But when she turned around, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Ye Fuli, seated not far away, met her gaze, tilting her head slightly with a smile.
That smile was no better than a viper's…
Ye Zhen almost wanted to remind her: You're the heroine! Could the heroine please not smile like a villainous supporting character? It's terrifying.
"You didn't listen to me."
Ye Fuli stood up and slowly walked toward her.
"Ye Zhen, it seems you need a little lesson."
"A… lesson?"
Ye Zhen's heart skipped a beat.
Recalling Ye Fuli's brutal combat prowess in the comics—taking on seven opponents single-handedly—Ye Zhen felt inexplicably sore all over, even though she hadn't been hit.
She instinctively began to make excuses: "Well! You saw it yourself, I was working on the bulletin board. The teacher asked me to… it's… um."
Before she could finish.
Ye Fuli grabbed her chin, yanked it upward, and silenced her forcefully.
Forced into silence, Ye Zhen puffed up like a pufferfish, her eyes brimming with resentment, resembling a stray dog often bullied on the streets.
Seeing her like this, Ye Fuli suddenly lost the urge to choke her until she passed out.
After all, this girl was simply too weak to fully ignite her violent impulses.
If Ye Zhen were a man, it would be a different story—at least three broken ribs would be guaranteed.
Standing up Ye Fuli was nothing short of suicide.
Ye Fuli: "Can you cook?"
Caught off guard by Ye Fuli's seemingly random question, Ye Zhen stammered, "Huh? Um… I know a little."
Ye Fuli: "Oh, that's good. You won't be going home tonight."
"Huh? I'm not going home? Then where do I go?"
"My place."
…
Walking out of school, Ye Zhen pondered a dilemma: if forced to choose between offending the Ye family parents and offending Feng Aotian, the female lead, which should she pick?
Over the years, she had maintained an image of being obedient and trouble-free in front of Ye's parents. She had never once stayed out all night.
But now, she had to grit her teeth and lie to the driver
uncle
who’d come to pick her up.
After all, Ye Fuli could take on seven opponents single-handedly.
Her petite frame probably couldn't even withstand a single punch from her.
"Um, Uncle Wu, I'd like to stay at a classmate's house tonight."
The driver glanced at Ye Fuli in confusion, then looked at Ye Zhen.
He couldn't recall Miss Ye Zhen having such a close friend.
Ye Fuli smiled, stepped forward, and explained, "Hello, Uncle Wu! My name is Ye Fuli! Ye Zhen wants to ask me to tutor her, and I'd like to earn some money for college tuition. Could you make an exception for us?"
Goodness gracious! That instantly feigned gentleness, kindness, obedience, and understanding utterly stunned Ye Zhen!
Top-notch acting, Feng Aotian!
"Ye Fuli? You're Ye Fuli, the top student in this school's elite class?"
At her name, Uncle Wu remembered.
Wasn't this the "academic idol" his daughter raved about daily?
"Alright, alright! Go ahead. If the old master and mistress knew Zhenzhen had made friends with such an outstanding girl like you, studying hard together, they'd be overjoyed."
The driver drove off.
Left standing at the school gate, Ye Zhen felt a pang of melancholy.
She knew tonight was going to be tough…
What kind of trouble would that Ye Fuli girl get her into?